Under the Stars
by illusionlove
Summary: After the war, Hermione returns to Hogwarts to complete her studies, along with the infamous Draco Malfoy. As an unexpected friendship develops between the two, can Hermione put her past behind her, and learn to love again? [On Hiatus]
1. Moving On

**Summary:**

After the war, Hermione returns to Hogwarts to complete her studies, along with the infamous Draco Malfoy. As an unexpected friendship develops between the two, can Hermione put her past behind her, and learn to love again?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter in any way, though I would love to. Everything written here is purely for enjoyment purposes and not to be sold for any profit.

**Rating:** T

**Spoilers**: For almost every book.

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**Author's Note:**

Hello there! -waves- This story has been on my mind since nearly a year ago, but it was only recently that I started to pen it down. I have around 5-6 chapters already written out for this story, so the first few updates will be pretty regular. Unfortunately I'm going into junior college soon and I'll be quite busy, especially during exam periods and project deadlines, so please forgive me if I take a long time to update the rest of the story!

Hopefully this story will be different from your typical Dramione stories :) The first two chapters may be a little draggy/boring, but I promise that the story really picks up after that :)

This story begins after DH (ignore the Epilogue).

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_"True love is like ghosts, which everybody talks about and few have seen."__  
__-La Rochefoucauld_

**Chapter 1: Moving On**

Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy loathed each other. It was an undisputed fact that was never opposed. They were exact opposites, like fire and ice, night and day. They were constantly bickering and getting on each other's nerves. The thought of them being in the same room was enough to make Hermione sick.

But that year, that one unforgettable year, everything between them changed. And Hermione's life was never the same again.

* * *

Three months later, Hermione Granger still found it hard to believe that the war was over. Ironically, it was strange to see how everything was back to…_normal._ She had spent nearly half her life fighting Voldemort and living in constant fear of him, so much that it felt strange when she was finally freed of him.

Somehow, it just all seemed so _surreal._

Being an over-achiever, Hermione Granger needed goals in her life. Ever since she had been enrolled in Hogwarts seven years ago, her primary focus had always been helping Harry defeat Voldemort. Unknown to her, Voldemort had played such a crucial role in her life that when he was finally gone and disappeared from the surface of the Earth for good, she had not known what to do.

That was, until she received that letter from Hogwarts.

* * *

_[Flashback] Two months ago_

It was the summer after the final battle. The sun was unusually hot for the month of July, with occasional cool gusts of wind blowing through the window. Hermione Granger and her two best friends, Ron Weasley and Harry Potter were sitting at the kitchen table in the Burrow, finishing up their breakfast consisting of bacon and eggs – Hermione's favorite.

Hermione had, as usual, been invited by Ron and Mrs. Weasley to spend the summer at the Burrow. She had tried to deny the offer initially, seeing that the Weasleys probably needed time to heal their wounds, physically and emotionally, from the war and she didn't want to intrude on their family's privacy.

But Mrs Weasley had insisted on her and Harry coming, and quite frankly, there was no way she could reject the offer, given that she had literally no place to live in now. Right after the battle, Hermione had immediately flown to Australia and tried to locate her parents, but to no avail. Perhaps she had cast too strong an enchantment on her parents, or perhaps they had hidden themselves too well. No matter how hard she tried, she could not find them. But she never gave up searching for them, clinging onto every piece of information that she had, hoping that one day, she would finally be able to reunite with them.

When she first arrived at The Burrow, she didn't know what to do. There was a heavy air surrounding the house, filled with grief and sadness. She and Harry tried to help out around the house as much as they could, keeping themselves busy so as to avoid having to face any of the Weasleys, as often such interaction would just result in awkward and uncomfortable silences. Hermione had never seen such an unhappy and broken family before, and without Fred around, it just didn't_ feel_ the same.

After weeks of mourning, the Weasleys finally emerged from the shell they had built around themselves, realizing that Fred would have wanted to leave the world the same way he had tried to construct it – filled with happiness and mischief instead of sorrow or grief. Although still pained by Fred's death, they acknowledged that there was nothing they could do to change events in the past. _It was time to move on. _

"Mate, just this once…?" Ron was trying to persuade Harry into coaching him Quidditch, and the latter was mumbling something incoherent but Hermione got the general gist that he didn't want to do so. Leaning back into the soft, comfortable dinner chair, she smiled involuntarily. She was so happy that Ron was back to his normal self, smiling, laughing, and most importantly, he stopped blaming himself for what happened during the war.

Just then, Ginny came down the stairs, looking disheveled, as she did every morning.

"Morning Harry," Ginny yawned sleepily as she kissed Harry on the cheek, causing the latter to blush. Ron looked disgusted and pretended to choke on his food, receiving a sharp glare from Ginny.

"What?" Ron asked defensively, "You haven't even greeted me!"

"Oh shut up, Ron," Ginny rolled her eyes at her brother. "Get used to it. Stop being a jealous prat."

Hermione suppressed a laugh as Ron nearly spitted out his water and stared at Ginny. "I'm not j-jealous!" He spluttered. His sister merely raised her eyebrows at him and shrugged, a smirk evident on her face.

_That Ginny, _Hermione thought with a knowing grin. _She and Ron are going to drive each other mad one of these days. _

Shifting her gaze to Harry, who was smiling to himself, Hermione couldn't felt but feel a twinge of sadness. Harry and Ginny were now practically glued together, and everyone knew that they were a couple. Hermione was genuinely happy for them, honest – she always thought the two were so compatible for each other, and she was really glad that after all Harry had been through, he could finally receive his share of happiness that he truly deserved. But maybe, she admitted to herself, deep down, she was jealous of Ginny – well, just a tiny bit – jealous that she had a boyfriend who really loved and cared for her.

It was not that she liked Harry in that way, their relationship was purely platonic. But Hermione knew Harry well enough to know that he would always care for Ginny, always be there when she needed him and put her before himself. He was _that _selfless.

But as for herself and Ron…well, she didn't even know if they were considered an item together. True, they had kissed last year, and they had held hands a couple of times, but other than that, nothing else had happened. Sometimes she couldn't pinpoint why exactly she was attracted to Ron, but the feeling was just _right _whenever she was with him. She felt comfortable, contented, _happy_.

But ever since after the war, Ron had not made any affectionate gestures to her, and they had not talked about _them _at all. Hermione knew Ron had a lot on his mind, and she was probably not his top priority right after the war (and she didn't blame him in the slightest bit), but now, everything seemed to be back to normal –almost, anyway, and she had still not receive any indications from Ron that assured her that he wanted to continue this relationship.

Trying to get rid of her insecurities, Hermione shook her head and returned her focus to the _Daily Prophet_ in front of her. On the front page, in large, bold, and flashing colours, was the headline: "Campaign by parents for Hogwarts to allow students to retake N.E.W.T.s".

Actually, this was exactly what she had been brooding over all summer – the fact that she did not complete her schooling at Hogwarts, all thanks to Voldemort. How would she be able to find a job when she had never even _sat_ for her N.E.? None of her friends could understand, or even comprehend, her fears, and tried to reassure her that with her exceptional O.W.L. results, she would already be automatically qualified for every profession she wished to take on. But Hermione did not just want _any _job; she wanted to do something that was fulfilling – challenging, even – and could grant her a sense of direction and satisfaction in life. And sadly, till now, although she loved all her classes, and loved learning in general, she just did not have a specific interest or direction to go.

_Harry's going to be an Auror, that's for sure. Ron loves Quidditch, and he's good at it too,_ Hermione had to admit. _He would probably join the national team as a Keeper. _

_Both of my best friends already have an idea of what they want to achieve in life, but what about me?_

Heaving a sigh, she looked up, staring into the sky through the window as she rested her chin on her hand. Until now, the only goal in her life had been to do well for exams (well, apart from saving her friends from Voldemort, of course). But school was over a month ago.

_I wish I could talk to my parents about this. I wish they were here._ Hermione found, to her great annoyance, that her eyes were tearing up again. _Stop it, _she told herself firmly. _I'll figure it all out sooner or later._

Wanting to temporarily forget about all her troubles, Hermione pushed herself off the chair and stood up. Stretching her arms, she glanced at the window from the corner of her eye again.

That was when something in the distance caught her sharp eye. She squinted, trying hard to identify the three black dots flying towards her.

_Is someone flying to the Burrow? No, wait, are those…owls? _As soon as Hermione had realized that, three large owls soared through the window into the room noisily (and she had to duck her head to avoid being flown into), each carrying an envelope with handwriting on it that looked suspiciously like Minerva McGonagall's.

"What's this?" Ron's voice echoed all their thoughts as they stared at the huge owls perching on the table top. Lifting her gaze from the owls, Hermione shared a surprised look with Harry and Ron, that clearly said, _What could Professor McGonagall possibly write to us for? It has only been a month since we've left Hogwarts!_

Shrugging, Harry was the first to move forward, reaching to untie the letter addressed to him from the leg of the snowy white owl. The owl hooted and flapped its wings noisily, apparently glad to have his legs freed. Hermione and Ron followed suite, their hands fumbling with the knot.

Hermione pulled out the letter from her envelope eagerly and read:

_HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY_

_Headmistress: Minerva McGonagall_

_Dear Miss Granger,_

_We are pleased to inform you that Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry would like to invite you back for your eighth year to complete your education here. As you are officially of age, it is your choice whether or not you wish to attend the school in the fall._

_Should you make your return, you will be joining the Seventh Years in their lessons, seeing that you have completely missed out on the previous year. We are also pleased to inform you that upon your return, you would be given the title of Head Girl. Please find enclosed your Head Girl badge. You are expected to wear it when you report to Hogwarts._

_Attached is a list of books and supplies required for your school year. Term begins on 1__st__ September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

Hermione's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as she finished reading the letter. As she looked up and met Harry's gaze, her eyes sparkled with delight. "Oh Harry! Do you know what this means? We'll get to see all of our friends again! And complete our studies with N.E.!"

"Oh, great," Ron mumbled gruffly as he finally looked up from his letter. "And I thought I could avoid going through the horror of N.E.W.T, or all that homework for that matter."

"Oh, come off it, Ron!" Hermione laughed, obviously thrilled at the thought of returning to Hogwarts. "You – " she started, then stopped abruptly as she stared at her letter again. In all her excitement, the message that she was a Head Girl had not sunk in, until then. Rubbing her eyes disbelievingly, she scanned through the letter again, before quickly turned her envelope over to confirm her thoughts. Sure enough, a scarlet and gold object fell out and dropped to the floor with a loud 'clank'.

"Oh, my," Hermione whispered in astonishment as she bent down to pick up the round object from the floor, her hands shaking. It was a large badge with the words "Head Girl" carved on it in shiny golden letters. She could hardly believe her eyes.

_Hermione Granger, the new Head Girl._

This was what she had wanted ever since she had first known about the position from her book, _Hogwarts, A History_ even before she attended the school. And now - Hermione felt a smile tugging at her lips - she did it. She, Hermione Granger, was going to be the Head Girl of Hogwarts! She simply could not wait to owl her parents about the news. They would be so proud of her. Her thoughts wandered to her lost parents, but she quickly shook her head to rid herself of that thought. Now was not the time to be brooding over their disappearance.

"Wow! Blimey, Hermione, you're…you're a _head girl!_" Ron exclaimed, his mouth open in shock as he snatched the badge from Hermione's outstretched hand and examined it carefully. "Congratulations!"

"Well done, Mione!" Harry grinned, leaning towards Ron to examine her badge. "Always knew it'd be you."

Hermione blushed at their praise and smiled again as she held the badge in her hands. "Thanks, guys."

"Thought you'd be made the Head Boy though, mate," Ron said, turning towards Harry.

"I couldn't have been," Harry laughed, shaking his head. "I've broken way too many rules. I'm guessing that it's Ernie, or than Ravenclaw prefect, Anthony, I think."

Hermione bit her lips. She had thought that either Ron or Harry would have been made the Head Boy, given all their contributions to the wizarding world. She really couldn't think of anyone more suitable for the role than her two best friends.

Shrugging to herself, she tried to put aside that thought. She trusted Professor McGonagall enough to believe that she must have had her own reasons for that.

_[End of Flashback]_

_

* * *

_So here she was, ready to begin another year at Hogwarts. Hermione was determined to make the most out of her final year at Hogwarts, and for once, Voldemort would not intervene in any part of her life.

"Hermione?" She was jerked out of her thoughts as someone waved a hand in front of her. "You OK?"

"Yes, Harry, I'm fine," She smiled at her concerned dark-haired friend. "Just thinking about…you know, the beginning of a school year without Voldemort."

She observed Harry carefully as his face broke into a grin. "Yeah," he said, his eyes flashing, "Yeah. I know, Hermione." _It must have been such a relief for him, _Hermione realized, looking at her friend fondly. _I've never seen him as happy as he did for the past few months._

"OI!" Hermione winced as Ronald Weasley's loud voice broke them off. "Are you two ever coming? I'm not gonna save you seats if you don't hurry up!"

Sharing an amused look with each other, Hermione and Harry caught up with Ron, and together, they entered the Great Hall. As usual, four long rows of tables filled up under the dark ceiling, which was enchanted to look like the dark sky above. Candles floated in midair, illuminating the hall with students chatting eagerly to one another, exchanging greetings and the latest summer news.

Heads turned and voices whispered as soon as they entered the hall. But Hermione was already used to this. Wherever Harry went, people would be discussing about him and Voldemort's downfall. But at least this was way better than back in their fifth year, when Hermione was one of the only few who believed in Harry, while others called him a liar behind his back. _Except for people like Malfoy,_ Hermione thought irately, _who couldn't care less about humiliating Harry in his face._

They found a place at the Gryffindor table and sat down, with Ron and Harry on both sides of Hermione, and immediately golden plates and goblets appeared before them. Hermione was pleased to see that the majority of the students in their year had also returned to complete their schooling – Neville Longbottom, Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil, just to name a few.

"So you're back, too?" Dean Thomas grinned at them. "I wonder how many of us are back. It's sure going to be an interesting year, don't you think?"

" 'Course," Seamus grunted. "You three are lucky, you skipped the whole year. But we have to learn everything over again, just so we can complete our N.E.W.T.s which Yo-," Seamus's voice faltered slightly, but continued, "-Voldemort has disrupted. I wouldn't even have come here if not for my mom threatening to kick me out of the house if I don't take my N.E.W.T.s."

Hermione nodded her head in response, choosing to ignore his brief hesitation, as she looked around at the other tables, spotting Luna Lovegood, Hannah Abbott, and Cho Chang. They waved to her happily, and she returned the gesture.

"Wonder if Malfoy's back as well," Harry leaned in and whispered to her, his sharp eyes scanning the Slytherin table.

Hermione's eyes followed Harry's as she cast a glance over at the students at the table near the other end of the hall. Few Slytherins she knew had returned, but she spotted Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini talking away at the edge of the table. Scanning through the unfamiliar faces, the smile on Hermione's lips died down immediately as she spotted Draco Malfoy, and the silver, shining badge on his robes that no doubt spelt "Head Boy".

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**A/N: **So that's the end of the first chapter :) How did you find it so far? Please let me know by clicking that little button at the end of the page ;) (you know what I mean, review!) All comments and constructive criticism are appreciated!


	2. A Difficult Request

**Chapter 2: A Difficult Request**

_"Friendship often ends in love; but love in friendship - never."__  
__-Charles Caleb Colton_

Having been friends with Harry and Ron for seven years, Hermione had seen and done all kinds of shocking things. But never had she felt this shocked before. Her jaw dropped as she stared at the round badge on Malfoy's robes. _It couldn't be, _Hermione tried to reason with herself. _Professor McGonagall must have made a mistake. He couldn't – there is no way – Malfoy couldn't possibly be _Head Boy_! This is all wrong._

It was only when Ron agreed with her in a disgusted voice, that Hermione realized that she had said the last sentence out loud.

"Malfoy? Head Boy? What in the bloody hell was McGonagall thinking?" Ron splat, glaring at his Slytherin enemy with so much hatred that Hermione couldn't help but shrink away slightly.

Ron's loud voice had attracted many students, particularly the Gryffindors', attention. It was not long before whispers could be heard around the hall, students pointing and gaping at Draco Malfoy and his badge. Hermione looked at Harry, who had an indeterminable look on his face, and she couldn't tell what he was thinking.

Hermione stole another glance at Malfoy. He looked even paler than usual, if that was even possible. His blonde hair was messier, and the dark eye-bags under his eyes, in contrast with his white skin, were definitely hard to miss. It seemed as though he had suddenly aged over the summer.

And he actually looked…_lonely_, Hermione surprised herself with the sudden thought. After the war, no one knew what to make of the Malfoys. Neither Goyle nor Crabbe were accompanying Malfoy (the latter having died last year), and most of the Slytherins were avoiding him, as if he was carrying some contagious disease.

Hermione felt a pang of pity for him. True, he did make all their lives at Hogwarts miserable, but he was certainly not _evil_ (at least, not enough to want to kill anyone). She had read in the _Daily Prophet _(which was mostly rubbish, but it did report a bit of truth occasionally), that Lucius Malfoy had been sentenced to Azkaban and was further punished by disallowing him to use any magic for the rest of his life. Half of their vast fortune was also taken away from them as compensation for the families they had harmed in the war.

Draco Malfoy, on the other hand, was released without any charges against him, partly due to his age, and partly because the sinful deeds that he had committed were on the orders of Voldemort – he never wanted to be involved in any of the killings. Being the son of a Death Eater, Draco was fated to serve Voldemort from the day that he was born. Now, with the Dark Lord gone and his father locked up in Azkaban, Hermione wondered how he managed to cope with everything that had happened since the war.

Hermione's trail of thoughts was broken off as the doors of the Great Hall opened again, and the chattering students fell silent immediately. A short, white-haired little wizard walked in, following by a long trail of first years. Hermione watched as Professor Flitwick placed a three-legged stool in front of the first years and put the Sorting Hat on it. The first years all stared at it, confusion clearly etched on their faces. They huddled together, looking scared and nervous. _Just like I once was,_ Hermione smiled to herself.

The sorting of the first years ended quicker than she thought it would be, with many new additions to the Gryffindor table. Hermione, along with the others, clapped warmly for them as the first years joined their table, looking excited and scared at the same time.

"Ah, finally over! Food at last!" Ron grumbled as he picked up his knife and fork expectantly, waiting for food to appear in his plate. His face, however, fell immediately as Professor McGonagall stood up. The change was instant. The buzz in the Hall died down almost at once as every head turned in her direction.

Hermione glanced towards the staff table as well, and felt the sadness flooding back as she saw a new and unfamiliar face at the place Professor Snape sat last year. _And to think that a year ago we'd all be glad to see him go,_ she thought gloomily, closing her eyes for a brief moment and willed herself to stop thinking about it. When she opened them again, the headmistress was already speaking.

"To our new first-years, welcome. And to our older students, welcome back," Professor McGonagall started, her voice crisp and clear. "Before I begin, I would like to introduce a new member of staff to you. Please give your warm welcome to Professor Rowan Kamilla."

The short, plump witch seated on her right stood up immediately, her face red and jolly. She waved good-naturedly to the students before sitting down again.

"Professor Kamilla would be taking over the post of teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts this year." Professor McGonagall nodded at her briefly before continuing. "Moving on, I would like to welcome back our Eighth Years." At her words, the Hall broke into whispers and students looked around, as though suddenly realising the presence of the "Eighth Years" amongst them.

The headmistress raised a hand to silence the Hall. "They would be joining the Seventh Years this year in their lessons, and taking their N.E. together as well. I would also like to take this opportunity to formally introduce our Head Boy and Head Girl for the year, Mr. Draco Malfoy and Miss Hermione Granger."

"Wow, Hermione, _Head Girl! _That's really something! Why didn't you tell us earlier?" Neville exclaimed, turning around and giving her a pat on the back as his eyes noticed the shining badge pinned on her robes for the first time.

Hermione blushed and thanked him, her eyes straying involuntarily to Malfoy. To her mild surprise, Malfoy did not bathe in the attention like he usually would. Instead, he kept his eyes fixed on an imaginary spot in front of him while students around him whispered to each other. None of his fellow Slytherins were congratulating him, much less the rest of the school population. Hermione thought she heard a girl exclaim, not even bothering to keep her voice down, _"Malfoy? What is Hogwarts coming to? Asking a Death Eater to take charge of the school?"_ And Hermione could not say that she disagreed wholly with her.

McGonagall cleared her throat, seemingly ignoring the commotion that her previous announcement had brought about, as she continued speaking. "I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First years should take note that the forest in the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. Mr Filch has also kindly asked me to remind you that no magic is allowed to be used in the corridors between classes. Finally, Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact their respective Quidditch captains or Madam Hooch."

Her expression suddenly turned somber. She waited for a few seconds to ensure complete silence in the Hall before continuing.

"Now, as everyone in this Hall knows, Voldemort and his followers have been defeated at the end of last term. While we have been fortunate to survive the war, many others died in their fight against the Death Eaters. They have displayed exemplary bravery and courage, and I would like all of us to rise and raise our glasses to them."

Everyone did as instructed, standing up and raising their goblets in silence. Hermione willed herself not to cry as she thought of Fred, Tonks, Lupin, Professor Snape, and the other 50 Hogwarts members and staff who had perished in the hands of Voldemort. She failed to do so. As they sat down again, Hermione noted from the tear-stained faces of her peers that she was not the only one.

"While I can assure you that peace has been restored once again, I cannot emphasize strongly enough how important it is that _every one _of you here continue to stay vigilant and united. It does not matter whether you are in Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor or Slytherin, we must not be divided. It is the only way that we, together as a school, can overcome any danger presented before us."

Her silver eyes swept over the students one last time before the corners of her mouth twitched slightly. "I assume that you are all hungry now, so do enjoy your meals."

The Hall broke into applause as McGonagall sat down neatly. The golden plates and goblets before them filled suddenly with delicious food and drinks. Ron immediately snatched up his cutlery again and tucked into the food without a further word. Hermione wiped her eyes on her robes and gave a small smile at the sight of her friend stuffing sausages and pork chops into his mouth one after the other. She took a sip of her pumpkin juice as she listened to Harry and Ginny comparing their timetables, and Dean and Seamus discussing about "Muggle football".

At long last, when the last dessert had melted from the golden plates, Professor McGonagall gave her word that it was time for their bedtime. There was a great clattering and scraping all around them as students scrambled up to leave the Hall. Hermione stood up quickly, covering her mouth as she yawned tiredly.

"First-years! This way, please!" She called out along the table as a group of students walked up slowly to her, nudging each other and whispering, trying not to take lead of the small group as they stared at her in awe.

"I'll see you later," Harry told her nervously as he and Ron turned to make their way out of the Hall, after a first-year had jumped up at him and asked excitedly, "Are you the great and famous Harry Potter? I'm totally a fan of you!"

Snickering at Harry's horrified expression, Hermione marched through the chattering crowd and out of the Great Hall confidently, with the trail of first-years following shyly behind her. She led them up the marble staircase and through the tapestries, stopping at the end of the corridor with the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Beyond this portrait is the Gryffindor common room and the dormitory," She turned around and explained to the curious-looking first-years. "You'll need a password to enter the room. For now, it is _flabbergast_." There were a few murmurs and giggles amongst the students when they heard the password, but none of them spoke out loud.

Hermione gave the password to the Fat Lady, who swung forward to reveal a hole in the wall, through which she prompted the first-years to crawl. As she was about to follow them and enter the cozy Gryffindor common room, she saw Professor McGonagall hurrying towards her.

"Miss Granger? I would like a word with you. Come with me to my office, please." The headmistress said, beckoning Hermione to follow her. Without giving the latter a chance to respond, she started marching off in the direction of the Headmaster's Tower.

Frowning slightly, Hermione threw a look over her shoulders, and after making sure that all of the first-years had entered the common room, she trailed behind Professor McGonagall, quickening her pace to keep up with the headmistress's long strides. They marched up the staircase to the seventh floor, stopping in front of a large stone gargoyle. Bending down slightly, McGonagall gave her password, _tabbycat_, to the gargoyle, who immediately leapt aside,

Turning around to look at Hermione, she said briefly, "You should probably remember the password, Miss Granger. It would be much easier for you to find me in the future, should you feel the need to."

Hermione nodded, but she was not sure if the older woman had seen it as they entered the door and stepped on the spiral staircase, the gargoyle's entrance closing behind them slowly. As they reached the end of the staircase, McGonagall pushed open the highly polished oak door to the Headmaster's office.

Entering the large, circular room cautiously, Hermione noted to herself that the headmaster's office had not changed much since the last time she saw it. The walls in the room were covered with portraits of previous Headmasters and Headmistresses. Immediately, Hermione spotted Professor Dumbledore's portrait behind the Headmaster's desk. Sadness flooded through her as her thoughts travelled back to Dumbledore's funeral two years ago, and somehow it felt as if it was only yesterday that Dumbledore was sitting at the desk, stroking Fawkes and smiling at them with his twinkling, brilliant blue eyes.

"Please take a seat, Miss Granger," the headmistress's voice jolted Hermione out of her thoughts. Looking around, she noticed, with slight embarrassment, that the headmistress had already settled down at her desk, and was in the process of conjuring a comfortable looking chair out of the air and placing it in front of her.

That was when Hermione realized that she and Professor McGonagall were not the only ones in the room. Next to the empty chair and facing away from her, she spotted a tall boy with sleek blond hair. Trying to contain her shock at seeing the person who had came so close to killing their former headmaster, Hermione took a deep breath and reprimanded herself silently.

_Hermione Jean Granger, you should have been prepared for this. What do you think Professor McGonagall called you here for?_

Gathering her composure, Hermione walked briskly up to the headmistress's desk, pulling the chair slightly to create more distance between herself and Malfoy.

"Granger," Malfoy acknowledged her presence coldly, his piercing grey eyes fixed on her.

"Malfoy," She replied back curtly, her mouth drawn tight in a thin frown.

Professor McGonagall seemed to be unaware of this little exchange between the two students; or if she did, she chose to ignore it. Looking up from the pile of papers on her polished desk, she looked at the two students seated in front of her intently.

"Now, I am sure that both of you are curious about why I wish to speak to you at such an unearthly hour." She paused for a moment before continuing. "I would like to brief you on your duties as the Head Boy and Girl."

Hermione couldn't take it anymore. She was not one to lose control of her emotions, but she did this time. "Professor McGonagall, please pardon my insolence, but may I ask why Malfoy is chosen for the role of the Head Boy? Wouldn't Harry have made a much better choice? I really don't think –"

"And you, Granger, seem to assume that you fit the role of the Head Girl perfectly. I would think that such a mudblood like you would have a better sense of where you stand." Malfoy cut her off coolly, his face sneering.

Wincing inwardly at his use of the "M" word, Hermione ignored him and turned her attention back to the headmistress. "Malfoy was a Death Eater, Professor. He d-"

"That is enough, the both of you!" McGonagall cut her off sternly, her voice firm and stern. "Mr. Malfoy, I will _not_ permit you to use such crude words, do you understand? I expect you to behave more maturely than this."

"And Miss Granger, I am aware of Mr Malfoy's situation much better than you do. I can assure you that we have taken all fields into consideration during the selection of the Heads, and it is not up to you to question our criterion."

She paused, her eyes sweeping over the two students before her. "I hope that the both of you will not disappoint me."

Hermione face fell at her words, while Malfoy, looking nonchalant, showed no sign of acknowledging what McGonagall had just said.

"As the Heads of the school, you are expected to carry a lot more responsibility and also set an immaculate example to the younger pupils. Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy, I will not tolerate any dispute or personal grudges between the two of you. I hope to see a change in your attitudes towards each other, and I expect civilized behavior at all times. Remember what I have said at the feast just now."

"You will be sharing a common room together, and spend most of your time in the Heads' dormitory. You -"

"Wait, Professor, did you just say that we –"

"Are sharing the same living quarters?" Malfoy finished Hermione's sentence, as they both stared at Professor McGonagall in disbelief.

"Yes, and I hope that both of you will be cooperative about this."

"But, Professor, I cannot – there's no way – I can't _live _with him!"

"And you think that I'm pleased to live with you, Granger? I'd rather be dead than spend 24 hours in your company."

"Be silent, the two of you! This is not the kind of behaviour I would expect from the Heads of the school. Now, if you would just let me finish what I was saying. You are still allowed to visit your own houses' common rooms respectively, but you must stay in the Heads' dormitory at night. There is no argument about this."

"Both of you are also expected to be in charge of and work with the rest of the prefects on organising many events that will be taking place late this year, details of which will be provided to you at a later date. I'm sure that both of you are aware of your patrolling duties too, yes?"

Hermione shot a helpless look at Malfoy, who ignored her completely. Well, of course she knew that she had to do patrolling, but she wasn't sure of the exact details of what she had to do. Noticing this, Professor McGonagall continued.

"You are expected to patrol around the school after 9 o'clock together, 3 times a week. I will leave you two to figure out your timetables and schedules. And I repeat, you are expected to patrol_ together_. If I find any one of you wandering around on your own, I will not hesitate to deduct house points from both of you. If you see any students loitering around after bedtime, you are allowed to deduct points from them as you see fit."

"Any questions? If not, Mr Malfoy, you are dismissed. Miss Granger, I would like to speak to you privately."

Pushing back his chair noisily, Malfoy stood up, brushing imaginary dirt off his robe. Locking his cold eyes on Hermione briefly, he turned and exited the room.

Something stirred in her heart as Hermione watched Malfoy's tall figure disappearing down the spiral staircase.

_Was it disappointment? _

Disappointment, perhaps, that Malfoy still remained a notorious, arrogant spoilt brat despite everything that had happened last year. When she saw him sitting alone at the Slytherin table earlier that day, a small part of her had hoped that over the summer, Malfoy had, however unlikely it might seem, changed for the better.

_Apparently not,_ Hermione thought to herself bitterly.

"Miss Granger, you have previously asked me what is the rationale behind me choosing Mr. Malfoy to take on the role of the head boy. I expect that you were not satisfied with my answer then?"

Blushing in embarrassment, Hermione kept her head down and nodded slightly.

"I will explain it to you now. Mr. Malfoy had been picked because of his intelligence and ability to make good decisions, but if I were to select heads purely based on that, Mr. Potter and even Mr. Weasley would have made better candidates." Professor McGonagall paused, looking intently at the young lady before her, who was now staring at her, her face full of curiosity.

"My main rationale, then, is that I believe Mr. Malfoy is at a crossroad in his life now. This is an important time for him – one wrong step, and there is no turning back. I believe that he has potential and can become a great wizard, if there is someone to guide him on the right path, constantly keeping an eye on him. And no one is more suited for the job than you, Miss Granger. I trust that you'll help me on this."

* * *

After Hermione had left the room, McGonagall rubbed her eyes tiredly and leaned back on her chair. Turning around to face the portrait of Albus Dumbledore, she asked quietly, "Albus, did I make the right decision?"

Dumbledore's face smiled back at her and his eyes twinkled as he spoke, "Minerva, dear, I am sure that this is all for the best. You couldn't have done better."

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed! :) How did you find this chapter?


	3. The Start of Something New

"_You can close your eyes to the things you do not want to see, but you cannot close your heart to the things you do not want to feel."_

**Chapter 3: The Start of Something New**_  
_

Yawning, Hermione stretched her arms as she sat up on her bed. Shaking her head groggily, she opened her eyes and glanced at her surroundings for the first time.

She was lying in a large four-poster bed, with a beautiful red mattress dotted with golden sparks and matching pillows. Next to her bed was an intricately-carved wooden bedside table, and further away, a matching closet which was empty. Jumping out of bed, she realised, with a laugh, that she was so tired the day before that she had not even unpacked her luggage, which was lying in a corner of her room.

Opening her trunk, she took out her robes and hung them in the closet neatly, arranging them according to their colours. Then, she carefully took out a photoframe, in which there was a picture of her and her parents, smiling and waving happily at the camera. With a wistful smile, she wiped the glass with her finger and placed it gently on her bedside table.

Glancing at the alarm clock which she had just taken out of her trunk, she let out a sharp gasp. If she didn't hurry, she would be late for breakfast on the first day of school! Grabbing a pair of robes, she rushed into the bathroom.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Hermione came down the stairs in a hurry, her hair uncombed and her face flushed.

"Morning, Malfoy," the words slipped out of her mouth as soon as she spotted the silverish-blonde hair boy sitting in the comfortable green armchair beside the fireplace, holding a copy of _The Daily Prophet _in his hands.

"How surprising. Miss Hermione Granger actually greeted me for a change. " Malfoy looked up from the _Prophet_ calmly and snickered. "Never thought I'd live to see the day."

She huffed. "Because, unlike you, I'm actually attempting to be nice, seeing that however unwilling you and I may be about it, we do in fact have to share this place for the rest of the year." Hermione turned to face the boy, an annoyed expression apparent on her face. "Anyway, why are you still reading the paper? We're going to be late!"

Raising his eyebrows slightly, Malfoy answered sarcastically, "Perhaps you didn't realize, Head Girl, but breakfast start slightly later today. Seventh-Years are confirming their timetables and they'll take some time, but since that's no business of ours, we can afford to go down half an hour later. Haven't you been listening to McGonagall? That's a first from you, know-it-all Granger."

Blushing involuntarily, Hermione realized with a startle that Malfoy was right. She had been so worked up and nervous over her first day as a Head Prefect that she had completely forgotten that fact. But still, did Malfoy have to sound so smug about it? And she hated having someone other than her family members and close friends calling her a "know-it-all". Her parents often call her that, but she knew it was out of affection and love, and she didn't mind that one bit. But hearing _Malfoy_ say it so freely…

"And so what if I did forget about it? Everyone forgets things at some point of time. If you can't be understanding, perhaps you can at least be civilized about it."

"Unfortunately, I can't. Maybe you had forgotten, Granger, but I don't practice civility with mudbloods," Malfoy smirked and fixed his gaze on Hermione's face, waiting for her reaction.

Malfoy's words felt like a slap to her face, as Hermione stared at him, stung. _WHY is he always being so difficult? Here I am trying to be nice and accepting about the fact that we have to see each other practically 24/7, and he's intent on demeaning me. How are we supposed to work together like this? _

"Malfoy, you...oh, forget it," Hermione rolled her eyes as she turned away from the boy, certain that whatever she said would not make a difference anyway. "What did I expect? Death Eaters don't change overnight." She mumbled to herself, just loudly enough for Malfoy to hear.

The change in Malfoy's expression was sudden and completely unexpected. So when he jumped up from his armchair and stood before Hermione, towering over her, his face distorted with anger, she had no idea what was going on, or what she had done to cause this dramatic change.

"Malfoy, what in the world –" Hermione tried to speak, shrinking away from him, but was cut off by the silver-haired boy in front of her.

"Listen, Granger," he said slowly, his piercing green eyes staring into hers as he backed her up against the wall. "I know you think that I belong to Voldemort and carry out all kinds of dirty work for him. No surprise there, you're just like everyone else out there. But I want to make the point straight to you, because I'm sick of people making up lies behind my back. Stop acting so smart, Granger, because you don't understand anything. Do you honestly think I became a Death Eater by choice? Do you think I actually want to kill all those people? Do you think I would have helped him if not for him threatening to kill my whole family?" Pausing to catch his breath, Draco was practically shouting now.

"Do you know that I lie in bed everyday unable to sleep because of the guilt over what I've done? Do you know what it is like to have your parents, the only people who ever understood you, ripped away from you and put into Azkaban like that? Do you?"

"No you don't, so don't judge people that you don't know well, Granger."

Looking at him, hearing his outburst, Hermione was suddenly scared. Hell, she wasn't scared of what he'd _do_ to her, but more of what he was _saying_. She had never seen him like this before, so angry, so vulnerable. He had always acted so cold, so distant, like he didn't need friends or cared about what anyone else thought anyway, so much so that Hermione actually believed it to be true.

_Maybe he's lonely too. Maybe he just doesn't know how to express his feelings well. Have I misunderstood him? Was he really left with no choice?_

She thought about her own parents, her soft-spoken, loving, forgiving and supportive parents who she owed so much to. What if Voldemort had asked her to kill innocents in order to save them? Could she do it?

Shaking her head quickly to rid herself of the terrible thought, Hermione felt like she somehow understood – understood how he must have felt when he was forced into making a decision; when he had to kill so many innocents against his will; when he was threatened over and over again by Voldemort and his group of Death Eaters; and when he had to watch his parents get dragged off to Azkaban.

_Malfoy isn't evil. He's just a confused 17-year-old like the rest of us, who was too cowardly to seek help._

Again she felt sympathy towards the silver-haired boy. _No one should ever have to experience something like that, not even Malfoy. No one deserves to._

When she dared to look up again, Malfoy was already gone, and the room was deadly silent. She was so absorbed in her own thoughts that she didn't even hear him leave.

"Sorry," she whispered as she stared at the door which Malfoy left through, sinking onto the floor, trying to blink away the tears that were misting her eyes over. "Sorry."

* * *

Draco stomped up the stairs of the Head's common room, slamming the door of his room as he entered it.

Plopping himself down on his soft mattress, he stared up at the ceiling, his fingers intertwined under his head. He was angry and annoyed, but he didn't know _why _exactly.

The last six months had been nothing short of absolute hell for him. Since his father had been put into Azkaban, all his mother did was to cry day after day. In a way, he was actually glad to return to Hogwarts, to escape from his mother's moans and complaints that were driving him mad. He had to take care of everything in the house from cooking to cleaning, with no one to talk to or confide in.

And now, back at Hogwarts, everyone was avoiding him, as though he was carrying some contagious disease. _But so what? _He had told himself. He was _Draco Malfoy, _and perfectly capable of surviving on his own without needing any friends or family.

And so, when he suddenly burst out at Granger just now, he hated himself for being unable to exert sufficient self-control. He had kept that part, that vulnerable, confused and misunderstood part of him that desired love, protection and a normal life, hidden well away from anyone for so many years, but in one moment, he had lost the façade he had so carefully constructed for himself.

Beyond that anger and frustration though, there was something else that perplexed and puzzled him – that was, why he had told Granger that secret of his. Something had stirred in him when he heard Granger calling him a Death Eater, associating him with _the rest of them_. But why should he care? Why should he care about what Granger thought of him? Hundreds of other students, heck, _all_ the other students thought the same way about him anyway, but he had never felt the same urge to correct them, to make them know that he was not like that at all.

_He just didn't care, or at least, that was what he kept telling himself. _

But with Granger, it was different. Draco knew that it was stupid of him to think that Granger could be any different from the rest of them, especially after how he had treated her and made her life at Hogwarts miserable all these 7 years. But perhaps, he allowed himself to dare to think, perhaps deep down he wished someone could understand him; that someone could see him for how he was instead of purely being a _Death Eater _who killed people mercilessly_. _He laughed humorlessly at himself_ - _did he think that Granger would be that person? How ridiculous.

All he wanted was someone to talk to_, _someone whom he could share his feelings with, and someone who could listen to him without judging him._  
_

_Perhaps even that was too much to hope for._

* * *

**A/N:** This chapter was originally much longer, but I cut off the second part of it, because I had a nagging feeling that the story may be progressing too quickly, so I wanted to check and rewrite that part again. How did you find this chapter? Again, please R&R!


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